Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 14:18/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ד:י״ח
אומלכי צדק. נקרא כן בעבור שהוא מלך על מקום צדק וי"א כי הוא שם
1AND MELCHIZEDEK. He was so called because he was king (melech) over a righteous (tzedek) place.30 (Is. 1:26). Some identify Melchizedek with Shem.31 56; Nedarim 32b.
בושלם הוא ירושלים והעד "ויהי בשלם סכו" (תהלים עו ג):
2SALEM. This is Jerusalem. In Salem also is set His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion (Ps. 76:3) is proof of this.
גוהוא כהן. כדברי המתרגם ארמית וכן כל כהן והעד "וכהנו לי" (שמות כח מא) ופי' "על דברתי מלכי צדק" בספר תהלות (תהלים קי, ד) כי כהוגן דבר ויפה עשה שברך אברם בתחלה בעבור שהתנדב להושיע אשר נשבו ואחר כן אמר וברוך השם שעזרו ונתן צריו בידיו:
3AND HE WAS PRIEST. This is be rendered as Onkelos does.32 Similarly, every time the word “priest” (kohen) is found in Scripture.33 That they may minister unto Me (ve-khihanu li) (Ex. 28:41) is proof of this. The meaning of al divrati Malkitzedek (after the manner of Melchizedek) (Ps. 110:4) will be found in my commentary on Psalms.34 Melchizedek spoke properly and did the right thing in first blessing Abraham35 because he volunteered to rescue the captives.36 32b, Melchizedek acted improperly in blessing Abraham before God and was punished for it by having the priesthood taken away from his descendants. The Talmud derives this from al divrati Melchizedek, which it interprets to mean because of the improper words spoken by Melchizedek. I.E. hints that the latter phrase cannot be explained this way because Melchizedek spoke and acted properly. He then blessed God for aiding Abraham and delivering Abraham’s adversaries into his hands.